Screams filled the air as residents of Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades scrambled to escape from a rapidly advancing wildfire, a scene that echoed the plot of a disaster film. On Tuesday, a minor brush fire turned into a massive conflagration, accelerating towards homes in the wealthy neighborhood and igniting panic among the 30,000 people ordered to evacuate.
Wind gusts exceeding 100 mph transformed the blaze from a manageable size of 10 acres into a raging inferno, expanding to several thousand acres and compelling residents to abandon their cars on the gridlocked Pacific Coast Highway, a key evacuation route. Eyewitness Marsha Horowitz recounted frantic moments as firefighters urged motorists to exit their vehicles just as flames engulfed nearby cars.
One evacuee, racing home from her Hollywood job, recalled the terrifying scene as burning pieces of palm leaves fell around her while she sprinted to rescue her pet cat. "It felt surreal—like living in a horror movie," she exclaimed, describing the chaos and fear on the streets.
The devastation was not limited to the ordinary residents; several celebrities, including Hollywood stars James Woods and Steve Guttenberg, were also among those forced to flee. Guttenberg appealed for motorists to leave their keys in abandoned vehicles to facilitate emergency response efforts.
Despite efforts to navigate the chaos, some residents found themselves trapped. A local named Melanie described a heartbreakingly close call, realizing too late that her escape route was engulfed in flames, forcing her to turn back. Witnesses up to six miles away reported ash raining down, and the scene painted a dire picture of mass panic as families and individuals fled on foot, clutching their pets and belongings.
As emergency services scrambled to clear the way, bulldozers began moving abandoned cars, further illustrating the urgent response required to prevent additional chaos. Ellen Delosh-Bacher, who was stranded while trying to rescue her elderly mother and dogs, described the scene as apocalyptic. "The urgency was palpable," she said, recalling police shouting for people to run for their lives amidst a backdrop of flickering flames.
As the wildfire spreads, the Los Angeles community faces unimaginable challenges, as both residents and celebrities grapple with the fierce reality of Californian wildfire season.
